Ghostly Tales Of Dragonball
by Maiika
Summary: Short Halloween series for lovers of classic horror stories, and of Dragonball Z. Brief A/U one-shots, each a different scenario, each inspired by terrifying creatures, with a Dragonball spin. Not written to be overly grotesque, only descriptive to draw the reader into the fear of the situation. Each tale features a canon DBZ couple. (V/B, G/CC, Gh/V, K/18)
1. Soul Survivor

A/N: An inspiring classic movie and the anticipation of the arrival of Halloween prompted me to dig up this short horror bit I wrote last year and never posted. I didn't actually intend to make this what it turned out to be, or plan on posting it, but I like it and thought I'd share. If you choose to read, I advise taking your time with it. This uses descriptive imagery with hardly any dialogue, so you'll have to pay attention to detail to enjoy the story. Don't skip to the end! That would ruin it.

* * *

The sky was starless and cloudless, a black canvas that night.

Yet, an intense wind blew, causing a struggle aboard a traveling cargo ship in the sea. Torrential waves crashed against the hull of the fully manned ship, which was bound for the coast of the nearby continent. The crew fought to right the wavering ship, but it was the unpredictable impacts of the waves against its hull that controlled the ship that night, not the crew.

A crate, which had come loose from its secure fastening onboard, slid violently on deck and pounded against the railing of the ship. The crew members nearest to the crate immediately recognized the anomaly and hurriedly worked to secure their cargo. Others joined in as the crew members struggled to fight an unexpected force pounding from within the crate, while the men were still being thrown around by the merciless rocking of the ship.

A low growl rumbled from within the crate, and the men looked at one another in shocked, deep perplexity.

"Get that crate boarded up!" A sailor shouted out of desperation as the growling from within the crate grew louder.

The man with his hands nearest the opening struggled with all his strength to seal the busted lid over the crate, but the strength emanating from inside the vessel was too strong for him to counter. With a few determined grunts of effort and even the assistance of his nearby crew members, the man still lost his struggle as a pale-skinned hand shot through the opening of the crate, grasping the crewman's leathery-skinned wrist in an iron-clad hold.

The men screamed and yelled, and all but the one who was held immediately jumped or ran from the crate. The wooden lid loudly toppled off the crate from the force of gravity coupled with yet another violent sway of the ship as the man continued screaming and struggling for his life, pulling frantically to loosen his hand from the rock solid grasp of his unknown captor residing beneath the soil in the crate. The heavy lid slid across the deck with a grating screech, followed by a loud bang as it slammed into the crates at the opposite end of the ship.

From within the opened, soil-filled crate, something began to move and displace the soil near the emergence of that marmoreal white hand. The unfortunate captive opened his mouth in a silent scream as bits of soil fell loose from the budding protrusion to reveal impressive, masculine facial features.

Immediately upon being sighted, the monstrous being jerked the man down by his wrist, sinking sharp fangs ferociously into his jugular. The helpless crew mates watched their crying friend's body lose its pallor, being completely drained of blood by the dark and haunting figure from the crate. They panicked and looked around in desperation, fearing whose turn would be next as they had no escape but the suicidal one of diving into the merciless black waters.

Through the night, the symphony of screams from that ship were drowned out by the roar of the crashing waves and the howling of the night winds.

As the light of morning finally approached, the ship neared the coast. With no one manning the ship, it crashed ashore into a cliff of rocks abutting a beach, startling a lightly sleeping young woman to consciousness in a nearby home.

The woman sat up with a start, rubbing the back of her delicate hand against her face with a breathy sigh before turning her gaze towards the window. Her blue eyes shimmered with curiosity as she slowly rose from the bed, her bare feet gently landing on the plush white carpet below. She tiptoed to the window, being careful not to wake the others in the house as the dimness of light from outside informed her that it was still very early. As she pulled the crimson velvet curtain back, she swept a silky blue lock of hair from her eyes with her other hand.

The sight outside the pane-glass window revealed to her the ruins of the cargo ship crash, its chaotic circumstance evident by the pieces of broken wood and at least one victim she readily spotted splayed across the rocks, his lifeless state recognizable even from that distance. Out of a need to help, in case there were any survivors, she sprinted outside, no longer worrying about who she might wake.

As the woman ran at full speed with her bare feet being scratched and marred by twigs, jagged rocks, and other bits of earth below her, she began to hope someone did hear her leave the house.

It became apparent as she closed in on that first corpse that the wreck was not the only cause for the deaths of the crew. She carefully stepped around the bloody body with its eyes lifeless and throat grotesquely ripped to shreds. Her stomach lurched at the body's stench of death mixed with seawater as she hurriedly turned her head away to inspect the rest of the wreckage.

She climbed the rocks and viewed the wreck all the way to the shoreline down below the cliffs. With her white chiffon nightgown dancing in the residual breeze from the previous night's windstorm, the woman shivered at the sight of several more corpses scattered on the sands of the beach, eerie in their absolute stillness.

The only visible movements in the scene below were of the torn sails fluttering in the breeze and the rolling waves of the ocean.

The only sounds were the flapping of the sail fabrics, distant cries of seagulls and the low, rhythmic roar of the gentle ocean waves.

The evidence of the bloody carnage that happened aboard that ship was apparent, scattered around with the wayward cargo crates and broken bits of ship.

The woman released a heavy, shaky sigh as she clutched her hand to her chest, attempting to comprehend how such a fatal crash could come ashore near her home that morning. Just as she was about to turn, she detected a minuscule movement among the wreckage in her peripheral vision.

Without another thought about her own safety or her churning stomach, she instinctively sprinted towards that movement in the wreckage, stopping with panting breath when she neared and identified the subtle twitching of fingers slowly protruding from beneath a broken crate with a name printed across it in black, stenciled ink.

The emotionally shaken woman slowly, timidly reached for the pale hand, which had visible traces of dark soil caked beneath its blunt fingernails. Running her own lithe fingers gently over the more masculine, but still alarmingly beautiful ones of the sole survivor of the wreckage, she sighed with relief upon determining that he was, indeed, alive.

His icy fingers curled firmly but gently around hers as she noted, on the busted crate under which he was temporarily buried, the name printed in black.

Vegeta.

* * *

A/N: I plan to expand upon this idea, making each chapter a different horror scenario for each of the canon DBZ couples.


	2. Stranger

A woman stood at the doorstep of a lightless house on a wide, paved, birch tree-lined street, hunched forward in exhaustion and trembling in fear. Her ebony bangs hung over her eyes as she allowed her head to sag and a few choked sobs to escape her slightly parted red lips.

She extended her hand, ringing the doorbell frantically, huffing and puffing to catch her breath as she clutched her trembling thigh with one hand. She impatiently gave up on the ineffective doorbell ringing to hammer her fist against the solid oak door. With anxious, occasional glances over her shoulder, she watched the seemingly vacant, dark street for any sign of her hooded pursuer's approach.

She gasped as she spotted the movement of a vague figure cloaked in black, further down the leaf-littered road. Her heart pounded in her chest as she pulled on the doorknob out of desperation, no longer worried about being polite in her frightening predicament. When the doorknob easily gave to her efforts, her eyes widened in elated surprise, before the guilt of entering a strange home uninvited struck her like a heavy torrent.

"Hello?" She questioned as she stepped into the dark home, its contemporary furnishings lined with a light layer of dust and its only source of lighting the outdoor street lamps casting through the windows.

The woman tucked a long, black strand of hair behind her ear as she warily looked around, remaining silent before she felt the need to check her pursuer's whereabouts again. She spun around, carefully closing the door behind her before stepping to the bay window aside it and pulling the dusty curtain back to view the street. The same, lurking figure was nearer now, his beady eyes searching, yet the woman was relieved to see that his wandering pursuit appeared aimless. She sighed in relief as she backed further into the home, to prevent being spotted through the window.

She was about to decide that the home was abandoned, that she had fortunately stumbled into an unknowing stranger's generosity by happening upon such an accessible home, when her surroundings suddenly became subtly illuminated, the source of the light coming from behind her.

She spun from the window to realize that the flickering illumination was originating from the far end of the hall, and she frowned before nervously biting her lip at the realization that she wasn't alone in that house. She worried the homeowner would be angered by her intrusion. She _was_ trespassing, after all. She could not go outside, though. She couldn't bring herself to do that with that sickly creep out there, who had been pursuing her all through the town and along her walk home that night.

With a deep inhale, followed by a shaky exhale, she decided to carefully greet the homeowner, who she could only hope was a good person. The danger inside the home seemed less than the danger outside the home. She was taking a gamble with what she considered to be the lesser of two evils.

"Hello?" She called towards the hall as she headed slowly in that direction with soft footsteps, not recognizing her own voice in its meekness.

"Hello?" Was the surprised response she received, though it almost seemed her own question echoing back to her in a deeper voice, rather than a genuine reply. A shadow of an approaching figure stretched across the carpet of the hall, and she froze in fear before she could raise her gaze from the ground to perceive who was with her.

She gasped at the sight of the tall figure, then sighed in relief when through the dancing light of the distant candle behind the stranger, she could make out a warm smile on the face of the man before her. Despite the strange situation of their meeting, she instantly felt comforted by the man's presence.

"I'm so sorry for my intrusion." She explained hurriedly as he took a slow step towards her, slowly tilting his head in consideration of the woman in his home.

"What are you doing in here?" He questioned with no malice or accusation behind his voice.

"I know it's wrong for me to let myself in like this, but I was being followed..." She trailed off and shyly lowered her gaze after an intense moment of locking eyes with his. She was shocked by how pristine and angelic his face looked, his pale skin contrasting beautifully with his dark, piercing eyes and black hair, which all seemed flawless in the hazy illumination of the faint candlelight.

"It's alright. I haven't had company here in a while. You're welcome to stay as long as you need." He replied with a charming smile. He was being almost suspiciously kind, but she couldn't bring herself to refuse his kindness. "Sorry about the lights." He added with a nonchalant shrug. She blinked at him in confusion.

"You don't..."

"I don't really bother with electricity. Haven't paid an electric bill in years." He finished for her with a dismissive shrug as he crossed his arms unflappably. "So, you said you were being followed?" He asked as he curiously stepped in front of the window, leaning low to leer at the abandoned street outside. "I don't see anyone _now_." She frowned deeply at that remark. It sounded like an invitation for her to leave, which was likely what the stranger would want, even if he did invite her to stay. He was likely just saying that to be kind. But just because he didn't see the man out there anymore, didn't mean that she felt any safer leaving yet.

She didn't know _when_ she would feel safe to leave.

Reading the young woman's worried expression, which was marring the beautiful features of her pretty face, the stranger smiled apologetically. "You should stay a little longer to make sure he's gone." He offered. She breathed a sigh of relief, releasing a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding.

"Thank you."

"What's your name?" The man asked immediately, hardly acknowledging her sincere expression of gratitude.

"Chi-Chi." She replied with a huff as her eyes repeatedly flicked between the window and the man, his nearness to it making her visibly uneasy with the lurking presence outside. Reading her unspoken request, he stepped away from the window, closer to her with a smile.

"I'm Goku." He replied as he took another step towards her, the muscular features of his arms highlighted by the casting of the streetlights through the window as he did so. Chi-Chi felt her cheeks heat and she instinctively turned her face away. Even if it was dark, she didn't want to risk Goku catching the blush on her cheeks.

The sound of rustling and metallic, clumsy bangs from outside alerted them both to the rear end of the house. The sounds seemed near, too near for Chi-Chi's comfort. Goku did not waste a second, bravely heading towards the sound at a brisk pace, when Chi-Chi decided to follow. She couldn't stand to be alone in that moment, and Goku's presence was making her feel safer. Goku had stopped near the kitchen window, narrowing his eyes as he focused intently on listening for anymore sounds. It was silent.

Chi-Chi warily bit her lip before hesitantly reaching her hand towards the blinds concealing the outdoor view. Before her fingers grazed the blinds, Chi-Chi drew her hand into her chest with a fearful gasp. Just the thought of seeing that man, that predator out there waiting for her had her heart pounding in her chest again and her knees shaking weakly.

She began to extend her hand again when a deliberate, forceful effort of pulling outside produced a rattling sound against the locked window. Chi-Chi couldn't help screeching in terror at the sound, though she fought to restrain herself and clapped a hand over her betraying mouth. Icy fingers enveloped her bare arms as Goku clutched his hands around her from behind, protectively drawing her away from the window and into his embrace.

"Chi-Chi," he breathed into her ear, his low, serious tone incredibly different from the way he had spoken to her earlier. She closed her eyes at the sensation of his breath breezing lightly over the hairs on the back of her neck, a chill crawling up her spine at the whisper of her name. "You can't stay here. It isn't safe."

Chi-Chi knit her brows tightly in deep confusion. She couldn't imagine a safer place at that moment. "But, Goku-"

"It isn't safe." He repeated with finality behind his voice. "There's a house down the street. That way." He explained in a hushed whisper with a nod and slight shift in the direction of his intention. "An old man used to live there. I hope he still does. You can trust him, Chi-Chi. Go there." Goku instructed as Chi-Chi pulled away from Goku's grasp and spun to face him inquisitively. A rattle sounded from a few windows away, in another room, and Chi-Chi jumped and cringed, while Goku glared in that direction.

"But, Goku. I'd rather trust _you_." Chi-Chi objected as Goku placed his hands on her back, guiding her towards the front door. She didn't want to go out there. He had to be crazy, sending her out there, knowing her stalker was out there.

"I'll keep this guy busy." Goku replied, blatantly ignoring Chi-Chi's objection. "While I distract him, you run for it and don't look back." Chi-Chi frowned with worry.

"I can't just leave y-" she began again as Goku wasted no time cutting her off, his expression returning to that jovial, comforting smile she had seen from him earlier.

"I'll be fine." He said confidently. "Don't worry about me. I'm just glad I could help." Goku replied honestly. Chi-Chi couldn't help smiling back at him, even as the tapping escalated to a loud bang outside, accompanied by the grumbling of an indistinguishable, low voice. "Go." Chi-Chi reached for the door, hesitating with her hand on the brass handle.

"Thank you, Goku." She said reluctantly, hoping his convincing confidence was more than just a brave front. She leaned forward quickly, nervously pressing her lips against his cheek, which she was surprised to find was remarkably smooth, and as cold as his hands. Without even a glance back to see Goku's reaction to her intimate expression of appreciation, she bolted the door wide open, prepared to run.

She didn't wait to see where Goku went, or even glance over her shoulder to make sure she was not being pursued. The house Goku mentioned was coming into view, and Chi-Chi was determined to get to it safely. She ran at an impressive speed, her lungs and throat burning from the effort by the time she reached the front door in a scene reminiscent of her earlier situation. She banged loudly and frantically with both fists, relieved to be received by a quick answer this time around.

"What's all the commotion out here?" The wiry old homeowner complained with an annoyed glare as he swung the door open and lowered his glasses to take a look at the intruder on his doorstep. Still struggling to catch her breath, Chi-Chi pleaded with her terrorized gaze, her look speaking volumes as the old man's eyes widened in alarm and he stepped aside, welcoming the strange woman into his home before he hurriedly slammed the door shut.

"Thank you." Chi-Chi huffed between pants and gasps.

"What happened, Miss?" The old man asked with knowing concern, looking suspiciously through the glass of his front door towards the street as he questioned her, his head darting side to side as he craned his wrinkled neck to peer at different angles.

"A man has been following me all night. You need to call the police!" She exclaimed suddenly, grabbing the man's shoulders in a panic as she recalled Goku and the dangerous predicament in which she left him. The man scowled at her clenching grasp on his bony shoulders before shaking her off and staring aghast at her, taking much too long to act.

"Now! We need to call them now! Goku's-"

"What?!" The old man croaked, shaking her by the shoulder briefly as she had done to him. Chi-Chi huffed as she glared with determination at the old man.

"Your neighbor, Goku. He's in danger." The old man shook his head, a look of utter disbelief crossing his face before he shook his head again at Chi-Chi with a scowl.

"I don't know what kind of a game you're playing, young lady. You think it's funny, playing pranks and scaring old men?!" He seemed suddenly infuriated, offended, and Chi-Chi was beginning to feel equally so, as well as deeply worried about what was happening with Goku and the stranger.

"Where's your phone? I'll call them myself if you won't." She insisted as she let herself further into the house, having no problem doing so for a second time that evening, especially when someone was in danger who had shown her so much kindness.

"You are _really_ pushing this." The old man complained as he followed Chi-Chi to the phone she had spotted and then abruptly slammed his palm forcefully to cover the phone. Chi-Chi glared indignantly at him.

"Goku told me I could trust you! I left him alone with that stalker, who could be a serial killer for all I know, and you won't call the police?!" She shouted indignantly at the old man, who scowled incredulously back at Chi-Chi before looking at her with a scrutinizing gaze.

"You're really serious, aren't you?" The old man finally questioned in awe after a long, speechless pause. He slowly removed his hand from the phone, his color draining as Chi-Chi disregarded his odd mannerisms in favor of picking up the phone and dialing the emergency number.

"Young lady," he began sternly as the phone rang and Chi-Chi tapped her foot impatiently, "Goku's house has been empty for months because the homeowners are on vacation. Goku, bless that wonderful young man's soul, has been dead for seven years." The old man explained in a hollow voice as another voice responded through the emergency line on the phone.

 _"What is your emergency? Are you safe? Can you tell me what's happened tonight?"_

Chi-Chi's mouth fell open as she stared aghast at the serious, solemn expression on the old man's face. She would have thought he was trying to play a trick on her, but there was not even a trace of amusement in his eyes. Chi-Chi's mouth went dry, her heart fluttered nervously in her chest, and she paled like the old man before her. She could not respond to the operator's questions, as she realized there was no way she could ever explain what happened to her that night.


	3. Cursed

A quiet park darkened as daylight disappeared over the horizon. Night had come, and the lamps throughout the park lit along the paved, winding sidewalk as most of the park's population began to dwindle when park-goers returned to their cars. A pair of teenagers walked smiling side by side through that park, the girl wrapping her fingers gently around the boy's calloused fingers as he looked at her, prepared to address his date timidly.

"Thank you again, for agreeing to go out with me tonight."

"Gohan! Stop." She grumbled in annoyance, disappointing him as that lovely smile wiped off her face in exchange for a scowl. "I _wanted_ to go out with you. You don't have to keep thanking me." She grumbled as she lowered her chin, her black wisps of hair falling over her eyes as she kicked at a pebble on the sidewalk and they continued their evening walk through the park. Gohan tightened his grip on her hand, attempting to smile reassuringly at her, though her downward gaze was making that impossible.

"Videl." He said encouragingly as he placed his free hand gently beneath her chin, making her look at him. He initially intended to apologize, but decided against it as he realized that apologetic behavior was just what was irritating her. So he stared speechlessly into her pretty blue eyes, saying with his eyes what he couldn't with his words. She smiled warmly in return, and the young couple continued walking together in blissful silence, past the oak trees and cast iron benches, past the picturesque flower beds wrapped around the bases of those large trees, past another lingering couple crossing their path in the opposite direction along the winding sidewalk.

"What a beautiful night. Isn't it, Videl?" Gohan asked with a small smile as he leaned in closer to his date, releasing his grip on her hand in favor of bringing that arm over her shoulder and pulling her in tightly in a side by side embrace.

"Yeah. Just look at the moon." Videl sighed breathily as she raised her chin for a fuller appreciation of the glowing round orb in the star-sprinkled night sky. When Gohan abruptly stopped walking, disconnecting from Videl as a barely audible strangled choke escaped his lips, Videl stopped and turned her gaze to face him with concern. "What's wrong, Gohan?" She asked as she observed the way he was grimacing with worry and keeping his eyes downcast while his face looked white as a sheet.

Before Gohan could answer, his cell phone vibrated in his pocket. Not moving anything but his hand, Gohan patted his pocket absently as Videl continued observing him with concern. The vibrations continued, drowning out the noises of the singing crickets, droning of passing car traffic and running water from the fountain in the park, as if that vibration was louder than everything else.

"I need to take this." Gohan said as if he expected the call, his gaze fixed straight ahead as he pulled the phone from his pocket and pressed it against his ear.

Videl crossed her arms and tilted her head suspiciously at Gohan's bizarre change in demeanor as a male voice spoke on the other end of the phone, saying words indecipherable to the teenage girl. Gohan nodded, his mouth agape with worry as a bead of sweat skimmed down his temple. Videl realized then that all of his skin was glistening with a perspiring sheen, one which could not have been caused by the slow evening walk they were taking on that comfortably cool night.

"I-I didn't realize it was tonight, Dad." Gohan said slowly with a cautious glance in Videl's direction. She smiled hesitantly back at him, but Gohan only averted his gaze as his father continued speaking to him over the phone. "I wouldn't have gone out tonight if I did!" Gohan suddenly shouted, causing Videl's eyes to widen in alarm at the anxiety-laden tone in her date's voice.

"Gohan, what is going on?" Videl asked, not caring at that point whether she was interrupting Gohan's phone conversation or not.

"Nothing!" Gohan hurriedly exclaimed with a frantic, denying shake of his head. Videl narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Gohan as the voice in the phone began some heated reply. Gohan was obviously anxious about something he was hiding from her, and so was his father on the phone.

"Actually, you know what?" Gohan said to Videl, "I think I'm coming down with something. I might be sick. I'd better get home." Videl glared disapprovingly at Gohan's obvious attempt to ditch their date.

"You were fine a minute ago, Gohan." Videl growled through her teeth, her top lip turning up in a subtle snarl as the romantic feelings from the evening were completely washed out by the predominating anger of rejection.

"It might have seemed that way, but you know, I think that food we ate isn't agree-" Gohan stopped speaking as he violently lurched forward, clasping a hand tightly around his stomach and dropping his cell phone to the sidewalk, which shattered upon impact with the hard concrete. Gohan released a low, pained growl as Videl's eyes shot open with fear. Any anger she felt over his faking was instantly replaced with genuine concern as she placed a hand on his shoulder, intending to comfort Gohan.

"Gohan!"

"Stay away!" Gohan yelled forcefully as he violently shoved Videl off of him. As soon as she lost contact with his body, which she noticed felt burning hot during that brief contact, Gohan stumbled away and sprinted from her.

"Gohan!" Videl yelled angrily as she ran after him. He didn't respond and only continued running faster, inhumanly faster. The only thing that slowed Gohan's progress were his occasional pained lurches, which looked increasingly more painful and intense as they progressed. Even with all that happening, Gohan was able to escape Videl's pursuit. Videl tracked Gohan in the direction in which he had disappeared behind some oak trees, carefully searching between the trees and bushes as she traveled further from the path, into denser and darker park forest.

"Gohan!" She called again, frowning with concern as she lightly folded her arms over her chest and her brows bowed with worry. A loud growl drew her from her worry, followed by a miserable sounding moan, both coming from behind some rustling bushes she could barely make out in the distant shadows. Videl felt herself trembling as she bravely approached those eerie sounds, her blue eyes wide with fear, her pupils dilated as she peered towards the bush to see the form of a man falling to his knees behind it.

As she came closer, she knew it had to be Gohan. When she opened her mouth to call to him again, feeling relieved at finding him, Gohan twisted his back violently and screamed. Videl gasped as she witnessed Gohan growling and writhing in pain, a terror striking her as she raised a palm over her gaping mouth while witnessing his bizarre suffering.

"Gohan?" she hesitantly whispered as she stepped slowly towards him, extending her hand as if to reach out and touch him, though she was still quite a distance away. She halted when he opened his mouth, baring his teeth. She was able to distinguish elongated fangs protruding from his canines while his eyes appeared to glow amber under the shine of the eerie, dim lighting of the night sky.

Her heart pounding rapidly, Videl slowly took a few steps back, without realizing she was doing so. The loud snap of a dry twig beneath her foot made her gasp in surprise as Gohan snapped his head towards the sound. The look in his eyes was a feral, fearsome look that Videl never would have expected to see directed at her from the shy and handsome boy she was dating. Gohan crouched low, his animalistic gaze fixed on her as he readied to pounce. Videl shook her head in disbelief before Gohan released another pained scream, tossing his head back and opening his mouth as he turned to the side and that profile of his pointed fangs terrified Videl even further.

"Videl, run!" Gohan yelled to her at that moment, through obvious strain in the midst of his pained condition. His voice was unrecognizable-deeper, more brutish-as if he was growling the words rather than yelling them. Videl hesitated for only a second, not wanting to desert Gohan in the midst of whatever he was going through. But when he snarled loudly and odd patches of black began visibly sprouting over his skin, and then he contorted again with bone-crunching sounds emanating from his movements, Videl ran without needing to be told twice. She dashed through the denser forest of the park, returning to the walkway and startling when she heard a wolfish howl of ire from behind her.

"Everyone! Get out of here! There's a..." Videl began to yell to the few strangers she passed in the park as she resumed her fearsome run, though she couldn't finish her sentence, because in reality, she didn't know what Gohan was becoming.

All she could think was _monster_. But she couldn't bring herself to refer to Gohan as a monster. He wasn't a monster. She knew it in her heart, despite what she had witnessed with her own eyes. She rushed into the safety of her car, parked just outside the park, worrying over the strangers who were dismissive of her warning and remained exposed there.

Videl's heart pounded in her chest as she sat in her car. She could feel her temples throbbing with all the adrenaline coursing through her body, both from the run, and from witnessing that frightening sight. She didn't know what to do. She couldn't just desert Gohan, but she couldn't bring herself to return to that scene either.

Videl remembered the earlier call from Gohan's father. He was anxious about something. Maybe he knew what was happening to Gohan. With a nod to herself, Videl pulled out her cell phone and dialed Gohan's home number. She hoped his father would answer. While the phone rang, she warily observed her surroundings outside the car. It was mostly dark. The only areas she could clearly see were the spaces illuminated beneath the path lights with gaps of nearly six feet between each light. She was relieved to see that the park population had mostly cleared out. Maybe no one would be hurt…by Gohan? No, Videl shook her head in instant denial of that thought just as a greeting sounded on the other end of the phone.

"Mr. Son, it's Videl." She replied with a shaky voice.

" _Videl? Aren't you with Gohan?"_ Gohan's father replied with a worrisome tone. Videl frowned warily.

"I…was. He ran off." Videl intentionally left out the important detail where she had followed Gohan and witnessed him turning into some sort of vicious creature, because she didn't know how she could possibly explain that to his father without sounding crazy. There was a tense beat of silence on the line.

"Does Gohan..." Videl began to question, feeling the need to address the terrifying, vivid images of Gohan burnt into her memory from earlier that evening. She exhaled heavily as Gohan's father patiently waited for her to finish, but she did not know how to articulate her question. "Has he been feeling okay?" She finally asked with careful subtlety. His father sighed.

 _"He never feels well...when there's a full moon. He wasn't supposed to go out tonight."_ His father finally admitted. _"I'm sorry your date was interrupted."_ Videl scratched her head in slight confusion.

"Uh...you mean Gohan was grounded?" She asked slowly and cautiously. To her surprise, his father's response was tinged with amusement.

 _"You could say that."_ Videl frowned to herself. Mr. Son was speaking cryptically, but Videl suspected that he knew what was happening with Gohan. _"You should go home, Videl."_

"Go home?" Videl questioned incredulously. It was one thing to be ditched on a date, but another entirely to ditch him when he was suffering with a painful condition.

 _"Don't worry about Gohan. He always comes home just fine after he's been feeling that way."_ Mr. Son's calm voice finally had some urgency behind it as he pushed Videl to leave. But she was not going to just abandon him!

"No. I'm sorry, Mr. Son. I think I should look for Gohan and make sure he's alright first." Videl replied as she prepared to hang up her phone, before an urgent yell sounded from it. She curiously placed it to her ear again.

" _No! Promise me you'll leave now and stay inside the car until you're home, Videl."_ Mr. Son's sudden determination and strict tone made Videl gulp in fear. She raised her brows in surprised disbelief.

"O-okay." Videl replied warily, feeling unable to make any other decision after hearing that command. "But," she added, knowing she couldn't leave things that way, "when Gohan does come home, you let him know he'll have to answer to me for abandoning me like that." She said firmly, feeling angry at the situation as she fought to push aside the underlying fear that was still gnawing at her.

As Videl hung up the phone at Gohan's father's agreement, she looked forward through her windshield, towards the scene of the dark and now-deserted park, detecting the quick movement of some sort of animal in the distance. She considered going after Gohan in spite of what she had promised. She still didn't feel right about leaving him. She reached towards her door handle when at her driver's side window, something suddenly lunged right at her with a loud growl, hitting the window with a thump as the car gently rocked from the force of the impact.

Videl screamed and leaned away from the window as she processed the appearance of what was lunging at her, which appeared to be a large, black dog, or perhaps a wolf. It was huge. It had to be a wolf, and it was continuing to snarl and drool as it lunged again and again, baring its sharp, bloodied fangs at her and leaving a glistening smear of deep red across her car window as her car rocked unsteadily from its brute force.

Videl began to hyperventilate as she reached a shaky hand to start her car engine. The thought of that creature succeeding in breaking through her window with the tremendous force of its attacks made Videl dismiss any thoughts she'd had about getting out of that car. She was pulling out of the parking space, and though the creature stayed beside her window, meeting her gaze with amber glowing eyes, it could not keep up when Videl gunned it and sped out of the parking lot with a squeal of her tires.

She finally lost that creature, but worried the whole drive home that it would suddenly appear behind her. Aside from the reappearance of the wolf, all she could think about as she drove was that smear of red on her window. Her eyes were repeatedly drawn to the rearview mirror to check for a chasing beast, and alternatively to the smear on the window, which felt like it was intentionally put there as a warning by that creature.

The implications of why such a hostile animal would be smeared with red had her darkest imagination running wild. She tried to consider that it might have been paint, or maybe the animal was bleeding from a minor injury. But something kept telling her that it was something much more sinister that caused that smear of red, which continued filling her with trepidation even after she arrived home.

She hesitated in her driveway, turning off her car and viewing the front door of her safe home, where her father was likely already sleeping soundly and she should have been returning with a goodnight kiss from Gohan. As it was, she was sitting in her car, debating whether she had the nerve to get out.

Every time she decided it was time to go inside, the image of that snarling wolf lunging at her window flashed across her mind, and she could not bring herself to open that door. After many failed attempts, Videl settled on staring at the house, hoping someone would arrive to relieve her from her fear. That someone never came, and Videl finally fell asleep in the driver's seat of her car, in the driveway, only feet from her front door.

Videl was startled from her rest hours later, when a thud sounded against her window. She woke with a gasp. Eyes wide and heart pounding immediately, Videl turned towards the car window. She exhaled heavily in relief at the sight of her boyfriend, shirtless and lowering his fist slowly from the window as he frowned worriedly at her.

"Gohan!" Videl reprimanded him as she rolled down the window.

"Sorry I scared you." Gohan said from the other side of the window with a slight smile.

"Gohan! Where have you been? What are you doing out there?" Videl scolded crossly as she glared at her boyfriend. Gohan smiled meekly in apology as he opened the car door, letting Videl step out and join him outside. Videl tilted her head and narrowed her eyes as she brought her face close to Gohan's and noticed a trace of red along Gohan's lip. "Gohan?" She questioned in awe as she reached for the red smear, brushing it with her thumb and presenting it for Gohan in a wordless request for explanation.

"Oh. I…" Gohan trailed off and shrugged artlessly, "I was sick?" He questioned more than answered. Videl narrowed her eyes at Gohan.

"Where is your shirt?" Videl asked as she crossed her arms and frowned disbelievingly at Gohan.

"Well, it was gross from getting sick. I had to get rid of it." Gohan explained guilelessly. Videl looked down at the ground and up at Gohan again, her accusing glare remaining after seeing Gohan's bare, dirtied feet below them.

"And your shoes? Did you get sick on them, too?" Videl asked sarcastically as Gohan warily rubbed the back of his neck and frowned at Videl.

"Look, Videl. I know you're angry." Gohan admitted guiltily. Videl huffed in irritated agreement as she realized his pants weren't even the same pair he'd been wearing earlier. But she was not going to question his appearance further.

"Do you have any idea what happened to me after you left?" Videl asked, her hard demeanor softening as she recalled frightening memories of the previous night. "I was chased by a…by a…a wolf!" Videl yelled irately, her eyes brimming with tears as she recalled the image of the creature stalking her, which was much more sinister than a mere wolf, but what else to call it, she had no idea. Gohan frowned deeply with a look of guilt and remorse, before he wrapped Videl soothingly in his arms.

"I'm so sorry, Videl. Are you okay?" He asked with such deep concern that Videl lost all will to be angry with him any longer. The comfort he was offering was what she needed at the moment. Videl released a shaky sigh, nuzzling into the comfort of Gohan's warm chest as he enveloped his arms snugly around her back and her head.

"Oh, Gohan." Videl sighed wearily, the night's events and lack of decent sleep wearing her down after the catastrophic evening she'd just had. Videl rubbed her hands along Gohan's arms, then up his back, caressing one along the back of his neck and through his silky black hair. She quirked a brow and slightly stiffened from her relaxed demeanor as she felt a clump of the softness from Gohan's hair come off between her fingers when she removed her hand. Videl lowered her hand to look at what she now held, which appeared to be not hair, but black, silky fur.

Gohan released his tight hold on Videl to see what had attracted her interest. Upon seeing the fur at which Videl was staring, and then meeting her astounded gaze, Gohan frowned remorsefully. She didn't want to believe it, but she had been fervently in denial of everything she'd witnessed all through the night. She no longer had the energy to deny that all the bizarre things she'd witnessed were related to Gohan's secretiveness.

Videl looked at Gohan, her eyes communicating her thoughts, and he met her gaze with deep fear recognizable in his black-eyed gaze. When Gohan contritely nodded his silent confession, Videl took a wary step back as she finally admitted to herself that the boy she was falling for was not a boy at all, at least not on nights when the moon was full.


	4. Creation

_"...appears the creature has escaped the underground laboratory where the crazed doctor hid his illegal experiments. Earlier today..."_ as the newscast continued, flashing a mugshot-reminiscent picture of a hideous creature with green, insectoid skin, no nose or ears, an elongated mouth, bug eyes, and a tail with a needle-like point on the end, a policeman driving alone in his patrol car stared at the car screen in horrified awe at the sight of the grotesque creature, which was followed by images flashed of the gruesome scenes of the killing spree it had left in its wake.

"That Gero is a maniac! Why would anyone create a monster like that?" The officer finally asked himself, scowling ahead at the streetlight-enhanced, dark road. Krillin sighed heavily. It was going to be a long, difficult night on duty. He just hoped he wouldn't be called to respond to one of the creature's appearances.

 _"Unit Six! We have a robbery in progress!"_ Came the voice of the dispatch, drawing Krillin from his nerves as he picked up his walkee with focus and confidence.

"Unit 6 ready! What's the location?" He replied with determination. He was confident about that call. After all, a robbery would certainly be easy to handle in comparison to that killer monster.

* * *

Krillin arrived at the location, immediately spotting the two criminals who had no intentions of concealing their theft, judging by the way they worked in the brightly lit store and took their time about sorting through the merchandise. By their behavior, they almost seemed to be daring anyone to challenge them.

Being that someone, Krillin stepped forward with a wary footstep, hand on his holster, ready to draw his gun at a moment's notice as he approached the two carelessly busied figures. As he neared them, he realized they looked like teens, one male, one female. He couldn't understand why he felt so frightened in that moment. Teen robberies were typically easy to handle, but something told Krillin that those teens were not the typical case.

"Put your hands up!" Krillin yelled loudly, distracting the pair from sorting through the store items as they briefly glanced over their shoulders with cold, matching stares. Their identical pairs of piercing blue eyes met Krillin's gaze and he froze, his eyes widening in awe. They had no life in their eyes. He had never seen anything like it.

The pair resumed what they were doing at that point, disregarding Krillin as they continued their seemingly aimless sorting of the store merchandise. The glass window was shattered with a large opening, which was how they earlier entered the store and likely triggered the alarm. Krillin took a deep breath and urged himself forward, stepping over the shards of glass littering the store tiles and skirting around the mess of merchandise the pair had strewn threw the aisles of the store with their disorderly robbery, despite the conflicting instinct within him that was urging for him to run away.

"Alright, you have the right-" Krillin began as he first approached the dark-haired male, pulling out his cuffs which swayed with a metallic jingle as they dangled from his hand, while the other hand remained in constant contact with his gun at his hip. But before he could finish his sentence, the teen boy had spun around, raising his flat palm and pounding it into Krillin's chest so hard that he was sent flying right back through the broken glass window of the department store. Krillin landed with a thud, wincing at the painful pressure lingering against his chest as the blonde girl smoothly continued her perusing as if nothing had happened. The boy then glared warningly at Krillin before returning to his task as well.

Krillin considered calling for backup as he stood with a pained grunt, having difficulty recovering from that hit. But these were only two teenagers. He'd be the laughingstock of the police force if he called for help with this job. So Krillin stepped forward again, this time with a new strategy, to first arrest the woman. He took a deep breath as he stepped behind her, and she froze for a moment in reaction to the sound of his breathing, before dismissively continuing her smooth motions of tossing clothes aside, from one pile to another.

"Miss, I'm sorry..." Krillin began, suddenly reluctant to attempt arresting that girl as his fingers unknowingly loosened their grip on his gun. It wasn't because he was scared of her and her...boyfriend, most likely. At least, that wasn't his only reason for hesitation. "...but I have to arrest you." He finally finished with a pained effort as the girl gracefully spun around, meeting his gaze with a stoic expression. Before Krillin knew it, the boy had miraculously moved behind him without a sound and put Krillin in a headlock with a deathly grip. Krillin struggled for only seconds before realizing that the boy had unreal strength behind his grasp that Krillin had no chance of countering. The boy's forearm pressed tighter into his windpipe and Krillin realized he was done for. That was until he was suddenly and abruptly released.

"W-wha..." Krillin trailed off shakily as he stumbled forward, rubbing his aching neck and suspiciously eyeing the boy behind him. The glowering expression on that young man's face told Krillin that he would have no hesitation about killing Krillin. Krillin instinctively reached for his gun again, in spite of the fact that the boy had just willingly released him. By the hard, unwavering glare coming from those ice blue eyes, Krillin was certain that his imminent death had only been slightly delayed by that momentary and confounding show of mercy. The boy narrowed his eyes again, a subtle growl rising from his throat before his gaze flickered to something just behind Krillin. Krillin wanted to know what he was looking at, but looking away from that boy for even a second could result in his death.

The girl. She was behind him. For all Krillin knew, she could have had a weapon or something, which wouldn't be nearly as formidable as her boyfriend's inhuman strength, but it was worth a turn. So Krillin glanced over his shoulder, eyeing the sight of the girl's hard stare, which nearly matched the boy's, though it did not feel nearly as hostile. Behind her, Krillin noticed movement. He realized then, with another glance at the boy, that it was that moving figure in the distance that had drawn his attention.

Krillin peered in that direction, though it was dark in that far section of the store. He tried to make out the slowly approaching figure anyways. He trembled as he suspected that it might have been the creature he'd been hearing reports about all night. Unable to clearly identify what it was that approached them, Krillin instinctively stepped towards the new intruder in a protective manner.

"Stay back!" Krillin told the pair of teens, even though _they_ had been the ones he had to worry about only seconds ago. A shallow huff sounded from behind him as the boy stepped forward, gently shoving past Krillin with an amused smirk at the approaching figure. The boy's hands raised from his sides to smoothly fold over his chest and he lowered his chin challengingly at the approaching figure as it neared. Krillin knitted his brows in confusion at the boy's behavior before following his gaze towards the figure as well, which was coming into view as it emerged from the shadows, clear enough for Krillin to recognize.

"Dr. Gero." Krillin rasped in awe. The old man's wrinkled, leathery face, his bushy white mustache and long white hair made that face easily identifiable after all the time it'd spent flashed across the news. Krillin couldn't believe he was in that department store, though, of all places. And the two with him seemed to recognize Gero as well, judging by the way they glared angrily at the confidently smiling, maniacal doctor.

"My children," Dr. Gero said as his hands slowly lifted, raising up beseechingly towards the group before him, "my creations." He sighed, his blue eyes shifting between the two teens, completely ignorant of Krillin between them. The doctor seemed completely unphased by the presence of an officer in their midst. But, seeing that the creature seemed to be nowhere in sight, Krillin felt he had a more important duty now than busting two teenagers for petty shoplifting.

"Dr. Gero! You are under arrest," Krillin began as he stepped forward, unaware of the undercurrents of the unspoken battle happening between the other three at the scene as he did so. "You have the right to remain-" he pulled out his handcuffs and stalked towards the doctor until the doctor interrupted him, lowering his chin as his gaze met the dark-haired, teenage boy.

"You disappoint me. Both of you were not ready to leave the lab. You need to return now. Your time will come soon enough." Gero explained, smiling sinisterly as he nodded towards the girl and continued ignoring Krillin. "Officer." He said abruptly, his eyes darting towards Krillin just as Krillin was preparing to advance on the man again. "I suggest you allow me to leave here of my own volition, or these two will not treat you kindly." The doctor smirked with a knowing twinkle in his eyes as Krillin stared disbelievingly at his empty accusation. From what Krillin had seen, the other two were not friendly towards the doctor in the slightest. Krillin shook his head dismissively and continued towards the doctor, whose head snapped in the direction of the boy again.

"Number 17, kill this man. He is becoming a problem."

The boy slowly turned his head towards Krillin, not an inch of his body moving otherwise as he peered at Krillin with that icy glare. Krillin felt a shiver run down his spine. If that boy was considering listening to the doctor, Krillin had plenty to fear. Even if the boy didn't like the doctor, he had intended to kill Krillin before the doctor came along anyways.

Krillin stepped back from the teen with a wary whimper, nearly tripping over some strewn merchandise that littered the store floor. He gathered himself, raising his hand hastily to his holster again and gripping his fingers tightly around his gun as his eye darted to the side, to the girl standing only inches away, who stood impassively as she observed the happenings in the store. How she remained so impassive, he had no idea. How the eyes of the two teens looked so lifeless and so threatening at the same time, he would never comprehend. All he knew was, whether it was by the boy or the doctor, he was about to die if he didn't do something.

Krillin pulled the gun from his hip and pulled the trigger in one smooth motion, so fast that he thought the boy had no chance to defend himself. As he watched the boy take a step back at the brunt impact of the bullet aimed square in his chest, Krillin frowned with guilt. He didn't want to be responsible for killing an unarmed young man. But from what Krillin had seen already, the boy was a living weapon, too fast for him to respond to. Shooting first was the only way he knew possible of defending himself from the imminent attack he saw coming. His brow furrowed as he looked at the boy again, who was still standing when he should have fallen. The boy smirked at Krillin and reached for his chest as if picking lint from his shirt, before Krillin heard the metallic clank of a small bullet falling to the ground. Dr. Gero began laughing.

"Number 17 cannot be harmed by bullets, Officer." The doctor explained condescendingly, as if that fact should have been obvious. "My creations are both nonliving and indestructible at the same time. Now, 17. Obey my command." Gero urged again to the boy, who lowered his chin and glowered at Krillin again with that piercing gaze. Krillin was certain now that it was over for him. If shooting the boy was useless, all his hopes of defending himself were gone. And after that shooting, Krillin wouldn't even blame the boy for attempting to kill him now. There was only one thing he could think of as he nervously gnawed his lower lip and shook his head slowly in fearful denial.

"Don't do it." Krillin whispered to the boy, his dry throat not allowing him to speak any louder as he uttered his useless plea. A flicker of interest crossed the girl's face at his words, which Krillin detected in his peripheral vision as he stood beside her, warily taking another step back. She raised a brow slowly before turning her head towards the boy, who met her eyes with a look of understanding. A nod from each of them, followed by a subtle grunt of acknowledgement, was all it took for those two to communicate something between one another, something Krillin, and seemingly the doctor, could not comprehend.

In a flash so quick that Krillin could only process what he saw in a replay in his mind afterwards, the boy lunged forward, miraculously crossing an expanse of nearly twenty feet as he reached his target with a forceful collision of his fist. Krillin felt his lower lip quiver and his eyes widen as he witnessed the boy grasping the doctor's throat he had just struck, before he pulled with a furious growl. Krillin's knees shook below him as blood cascaded from the doctor's neck, his life force being drained by the second as his essence oozed out of the very head that had created the monster terrorizing the city that night. Krillin had to look away. He could not stand to witness the way the boy began to tear and rip through the doctor's body with his bare hands, as if he was in a hateful tantrum, experiencing a complete loss of control. Krillin couldn't bring himself to run either, as he felt he should have been doing.

Krillin gasped at the touch of a cold hand on his shoulder. He warily looked up to see the girl standing over him with a look of subtle curiosity crossing her face as she observed him closely. Krillin felt he couldn't breathe as he looked at her, so close and so beautiful and so dangerous, if what the doctor claimed was true. She was unperturbed by the sounds and sight of the carnage that was still occurring in that very room with them. She seemed more infatuated with Krillin, who warily leaned away from her touch.

"Shhhh…" she hissed through her teeth as she knelt on one knee beside him, leaning closer as Krillin found himself unable to stand, unable to crawl away from the maddening hollow gaze that was fixed on him. She was so close that he could hear her breathing; he listened to her steady breath as she neared closer and closer to his face, until hers was practically touching his.

"Wh-what are you doing? Please..." Krillin asked with a quivering voice. As her hand reached out at his question, Krillin clenched his eyes tightly shut. Lithe fingers ran gently over the curve of his head, down and around his cheekbone, and then along his jawline as he slowly opened his eyes in amazement of the gentle touch where he was expecting a harsh, painful collision similar to what the doctor had experienced. He met the girl's gaze again, his lips slightly parted in awe as the corner of her lip slightly twitched in a near smile. In that moment, her eyes seemed to shine with some life, unlike the cold lifelessness they otherwise exhibited. She looked like an angel. She felt like an angel. Krillin exhaled heavily in a moment of peace and tranquility.

The sound of an irritated growl a few feet away alerted Krillin, who bolted upright with a start while the girl silently rose to her feet. The boy was covered in blood after his earlier assault, but completely unharmed and indifferent to the mangled corpse that now laid behind him. He approached as if intending to target Krillin next, and Krillin shook his head frantically in denial. He couldn't have his life end that way. Not after that moment he'd just had, not after he'd just witnessed the brutality of that boy, or creation, as the doctor identified him.

The girl crossed her arms and stepped over Krillin, intentionally barricading herself between his splayed form on the ground and the boy who was approaching. Krillin froze warily, his eyes darting around nervously as his muscles refused to obey his mind's commands to move. The shuffling of footsteps finally eased his tension enough to allow him some freedom of movement. When the girl stepped past Krillin and took a few more steps away, he relaxed at the distant sight of the retreating back of the boy. Krillin stood to his feet, habitually placing his hand on his holster again, though he had already learned that there was nothing that gun would do for him that night. He helplessly watched as the criminals walked away. Whatever they were, they were not human.

Krillin turned his head back to look at the bloody scene of the doctor's remains on the ground. He was a poor, misguided fool. Anyone who intended to control people like those two had to be mad. And he had another one who was even worse out there. Krillin felt guilty for allowing those two to escape, but there was really nothing he could have done to stop them.

They were created by Dr. Gero. They were anything but human, and no guns or regular policemen could have stopped them. It seemed the one thing that did stop them, or more specifically _her_ , was Krillin's desperate plea for mercy.

* * *

A/N: That is it for this little series. I considered doing a fifth chapter that would have been a Launch/Tien Jekyll and Hyde thing because that is a great parallel, but decided not to because they're not really a canon couple. I also considered a Dr./Mrs. Brief Twilight Zone-inspired chapter, but I am happy with these four short stories. I hope you guys enjoyed them. Thank you to all of you who reviewed; your feedback was wonderful.


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